November 2013 Articles

SANTEE SEEKS PUBLIC HELP IN UPDATING TRAFFIC CIRCULATION ELEMENT WITH DEC. 12 WORKSHOP

 

November 27, 2013 (Santee) – Santee’s Development Services Director Pedro Orso-Delgado announced efforts are under way to update the Circulation Element, a section of the General Plan that provides the framework for all aspects of transportation in the City. The Circulation Element addresses how local and regional traffic will circulate through Santee under both existing and future conditions, as well as the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users.


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PEARL JAM ROCKS AT SDSU

 

November 27, 2013 (San Diego) – Greg Dunne, best known to our readers as our “Bird Talk” columnist, sent us these photos and review comments on the Pearl Jam concert at San Diego State University.

“The show had everything. All the great songs to name a few: Even Flow, Black, Just Breathe, a Who song Baba O'Riley (We all know as Teenage Waste Land). A great rendition of Star-Spangled Banner by lead guitarist Mike McCready. Was it as good as the classic by Jimi Hendrix? Dare I say yes?” he wrote, adding that while “not as iconic as the great Jimi's rendition,” the concert was “a love fest between Pearl Jam and the fans. The audience knew just when to jump in and sing along with Eddie.”


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ON THE SILVER SCREEN: DUELING AVENGERS (OLDBOY)

 

November 27, 2013 (San Diego) – Justice is relative in Oldboy.  The latest film from director Spike Lee is complex in many areas.  Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) and Adrian Pryce (Sharlto Copley) would feel right at home in an Anthony Mann western; Joe is a good guy who is hard to root for while Adrian is a villain who is hard to root against.  Writer Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, Thor), adapting from both the manga and the 2003 Park Chan-wook film starring Choi Min-sik (I Saw the Devil), puts together a maddeningly tantalizing script that protects its secrets to the last few minutes the same way Cerberus guards the gates of Hades.


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COMET ISON TO REACH PERIHELION ON THANKSGIVING-CHANUKAH DAY

 

Astronomy experts say comet could be among brightest ever observed--and it may disintegrate as it draws near sun

By Don Harrison

Photo: NASA

November 26, 2013 (El Cajon) – As if Thanksgiving and the first day of Chanukah falling on the same day were not coincidence enough, the comet ISON will be at its closest point to the sun—about 750,000 miles away-- on that day, Thursday, Nov. 28th.

Grossmont College Astronomy Prof. Ross Cohen says for people who don’t have the proper equipment for comet watching,  at the time of its closest approach to the sun, it is safest to turn to the Internet or to television to view images from satellites that will be tracking the comet from various vantage points in space. 


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U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENTS ASSAULTED BY LARGE CROWD FROM MEXICO

 

View a video at 10 News

November 27, 2013 (San Diego) --Border Patrol agents working near the U.S. /Mexico International Border yesterday were assaulted with rocks and bottles after pepper spray was used in an effort to stop a large crowd trying to enter the U.S.

According to the Border Patrol, on November 24, more than 100 people illegally crossed the International Border from Mexico one-quarter-mile west of the San Ysidro Port of Entry in the Tijuana River channel. 


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SAN DIEGO FILIPINOS HELP TYPHOON VICTIMS

 

By Jordan Schaffner

Photo: USaid.gov

November 26, 2013 (San Diego)--Many Filipinos live and work in San Diego County.  Some of them have relatives back home in the Philippines who have been affected by the tragic typhoon Haiyan (which translates in English as typhoon Yolanda)  that hit a few weeks ago.

In an interview with East County Magazine, Rex Mortensen, a local recruiter with American Solar Direct, said he has several dozen family members in the hard-hit city of Tacloban, where he was born and raised until age 8. 

“All but one of my family members have been found," he said, but added that "odds are not good” due to current conditions; all of their homes have been destroyed and their belongings are gone. “They are hungry, thirsty, severely injured and with only the clothes on their backs, are trekking up to Manila to relocate and live permanently with our aid.”


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MISSING QUILT FOUND

 

November 26, 2013 (Alpine) – Two days ago, we reported on a historic quilt gone missing in Alpine. Today, Alpine Historical Society President Carlette Anderson sent us this good news.

"This morning I went to the club house to let a couple of members into the basement. I went into the kitchen for a glass of water and couldn't believe my eyes. There, laying flat, on the kitchen table was the historic quilt and the throw, with no note. It is an Alpine Woman's Club Mystery with a very happy ending."


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INTERNATIONAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN DAY: MEASURE INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS TO PROTECT WOMEN AND GIRLS AROUND THE WORLD

Online effort mounted to ask Congress to support International Violence Against Women Act

By Miriam Raftery

November 26, 2013 (Washington D.C.) – Yesterday was officially the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women.  To mark the occasion, the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA)  has been introduced into Congress last week—for the third time. 

“Gender-based violence remains an epidemic of global proportions that cuts across every social and economic class, ethnicity, race, religion and education level,” Secretary of State John Kerry stated yesterday.  “In fact, nearly one-third of women worldwide have experienced some form of physical or sexual violence. This is an unacceptable statistic and must be a wake-up call.”


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FEAST YOUR EYES ON THESE THANKSGIVING DINING OPTIONS

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

Don’t want to cook?  Bon appétit!  Several restaurants in East County and San Diego’s inland region are offering Thanksgiving feasts for dining in or take-out.  Feast your eyes on this year’s offerings from Andiamo, Bleu Boheme, Cali Comfort, and Pine Hills Lodge. Know of a feast we missed? Please post in the comments section below.


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SENATE ENDS FILIBUSTER ON MOST NOMINEES

By Miriam Raftery

November 25, 2013 (Washington D.C.) --Senate Democrats have deployed what some call the “nuclear” option:  ending the filibuster on most judicial and cabinet appointees.  The move eliminates the ability of the minority party to block an up or down vote on nominations.

The action came after Republicans  used the filibuster process to block not just controversial nominees, but virtually all of them. President Obama has had 72 of his judicial nominees blocked.  That’s by the most for any president.  By contrast, presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Bush senior each had zero nominees blocked by filibusters.  Carter and Reagan had just two each.  Clinton had 9 of his nominees blocked and the second President Bush had 7 of his nominees filibustered.


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TICK NUMBERS ON THE UPTICK IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY

 

November 25, 2013 (San Diego) --Ticks might be tiny, but they can pack a punch when it comes to affecting your health. The County’s Health and Human Services Agency warns of an increased possibility of contracting a tick-borne disease.

“It’s important to know that there are several diseases carried by ticks,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., County Public Health Officer. “People who work or play in grassy or brushy areas need to take special care to avoid exposure to ticks.”

In 2012, HHSA received reports of San Diego County residents with confirmed or probable tick-borne illnesses.  This included 14 cases of Lyme disease, two cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, two cases of other rickettsial diseases (which include spotted and typhus fever), and one case of ehrlichiosis, a bacterial disease affecting people and animals. Ticks can also carry tularemia and cause tick paralysis.


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READERS CALENDAR FOR 11/24

November 25, 2013 (San Diego) – For complete Calendar, including Authors Events, go to www.SDWriteWay.org

FOR ALL SAN DIEGO COUNTY LIBRARY EVENTS, go to:

http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/news-events/index.shtml

See Books by Dr. Carl Nelson at www.CarlANelson.us


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FROM THE CHIEF'S CORNER: I'VE GOT A DEAL FOR YOU! BLACK FRIDAY SURVIVAL AND SAFETY

 

November 25, 2013 (San Diego) – Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, when holiday gift buying begins.  Sales offering big discounts lure customers into stores, often beginning in the early hours of the morning.  “Unfortunately, Black Friday (and most major shopping days) is a day when shoppers may become victims of crimes and injuries,” says Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna.


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PETITION LAUNCHED TO SAVE ANCIENT NATIVE AMERICAN KOKOPILLI GEOGLYPH

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 24, 2013 (San Diego’s East County ) – Earlier this year, we covered Robert Lundahl’s powerful documentary about threats to ancient, large-scale Native American geoglyphs—sacred sites that stand in the way of massive energy projects. 

Now an online petition implores President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to stop the destruction of these sacred sites near Blythe, California along the Colorado River.  A related spoke wheel geoglyph in Ocotillo  was also at risk and now stands surrounded by wind turbines.  But now an ancient Kokopillo is at risk of being destroyed completely.


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LIONS TIGERS & BEARS 2013 CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL IS DEC. 7

 

November 24, 2013 (Alpine) – Lions Tigers & Bears is holding its 2013 Christmas Festival on Dec. 7 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 24402 Martin Way, Alpine.  Watch the animals open their presents and do your holiday shopping all in one day at this fun-filled family event.  There will be many local vendors, food, entertainment and even Santa Claus.


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DEADLY FLIGHT IN OCOTILLO HIGHLIGHTS DANGERS TO BIRDS OF PREY FROM WIND TURBINES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 24, 2013 (Ocotilo) – ECM photographer Parke Ewing photographed a troubling series of images on November 22 showing a large raptor winging its way through Pattern Energy's Ocotillo Express Wind Facility, dangerously close to the blades. 

The next day, photographer Jim Pelley found a dead raptor lying on the ground at the site, one leg sliced off, apparently a victim of the turbines. It is unclear whether it is the same raptor photographed on the wing by Ewing.

A news article just published in Rewire Magazine that the new, large wind turbines such as those at Ocotillo are likely responsible for 100,000 bird deaths a year in California.  Moreover, California is the deadliest state in the nation when it comes to bird deaths from wind projects, including many that are protected under the Migratory Species Treaty or the Endangered Species Act.


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PUBLIC SAFETY SPENDING AND ARRESTS IN S.D. REGION BOTH CONTINUE TO DECLINE

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 24, 2013 (San Diego) --Public safety spending is decreasing in the San Diego region. At the same time, arrests also are going down, according to a pair of new reports released by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). 

This news comes on the heels of several recent complaints ECM has heard from residents in unincorporated areas, who spoke to us off record to complain of very long response times for calls to the Sheriff.  According to the residents, responses of 30 to 60 minutes have occurred even for violent asauslts, hot prowl burglaries, and other crimes in progress in unincorporated areas such as Campo and Lakeside.


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LOCAL GOVERNMENT REPORT: WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA THIS WEEK IN BOULEVARD AND LA MESA

By Miriam Raftery

November 24, 2013 (San Diego's East County) -- This week, the hottest meeting in town will be the Boulevard Planning Group, which has a busy agendawith many major items slated for its meeting on Thursday, December 5 at 7 p.m. in the Boulevard Fire Training/Community Room, 39919 Ribbon Wood Road in Boulevard.  View full agenda.

Planners will hold a question and answer session on a new Boulevard Fire Station – and consider whether a moratorium should be requested for new large-scale commercial projects until Boulevard Fire Stations are verifiably staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The agenda also includes major energy projects and some controversial water issues.


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HURRAH! STEELE CANYON CHEER SQUADS HEAD TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

 

November 23, 2013 (Rancho San Diego ) – The Steele Canyon Junior Midget cheer squad won first place at a regional competition Sunday at the Town & Country Hotel, after also placing first in a local competition at the San Diego Concourse. Now the team heads to Orlando, Florida, to compete in the national championship December 11-16.

Steele County Mitey Mitey Cheer is also going to Nationals in Florida after beating out six other California and Florida teams at Regionals.


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CHILDREN FIND DELIGHT AT SANTEE TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Jerrie Dean

November 23, 2013 (Santee) -- On Friday night, area residents celebrated the upcoming holidays with the lightng of the tree at Santee Trolley Center for the 10th year.

Although thunder could be heard throughout East County, the storm let up just enough for everyone to enjoy the festivities. The event began at 5:30 p.m. with music, activities and booths where kids had a chance to make holiday crafts.  A jumper, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a visit from Santa were some of the favorite attractions. 


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MOTORCYCLE COLLIDES WITH CAR ON HIGHWAY 78

 

November 22, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Drivers of a motorcycle and a Saturn car have both been transported to Palomar Medical Center after colliding on State Route 78 east of San Felipe Road at 11:20 this morning.

A man from Canada was driving his 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle eastbound at 35 to 40 miles per hour entering a curve when he crossed the center line, overturned, and collided with the Saturn, which was traveling in the opposite direction. The Saturn’s driver is a woman from Borrego Springs.


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CITIZENS BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE VACANCY IN GUHSD

 

November 23, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – The Grossmont Union High School District is seeking applications to fill a vacancy within the eleven-member Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC). The CBOC oversees the implementation of Proposition H, the $274 million general obligation bond measure passed in March 2004, and Proposition U, the $417 million general obligation bond measure passed in November 2008, to bring facility improvements and renovations to the district’s schools. The appointee will serve a two-year term beginning January 2014, in the capacity of “Community Member-at-Large” and will be eligible for up to three consecutive two-year terms total.


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READER'S EDITORIAL: TARGETED BY A DRONE CULTURE

 

By Lisa Elkins

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has resolved to push ahead with a plan to expand its drone combat weapons system despite the malfunctioning drone that injured two last Saturday on the USS Chancellorsville’s last Saturday off the coast of San Diego. The $4 million aerial and subsonic target drone, Chukar (BQM-74E), which was manufactured by Aerospace giant Northrop Grumman, capable of speeds up to 604 mph, had veered out of control during an operation test. Luckily only two sailors out of the 300 crew members aboard the ship were injured after it was struck by the drone. Investigators at the Naval Base were unable to say why the drone lost control and crashed.

This is the second drone crash to occur in the past week after another unmanned craft malfunctioned and came down over Lake Ontario on Tuesday, prompting the suspension of all drone flights in Central New York.


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WINDS OF CHANGE: THREE COURTS HOLD WIND INDUSTRY RESPONSIBLE FOR DAMAGES

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – For years, wind developers operated with impunity, not held responsible for harm to people, wildlife or communities. But a trio of landmark court rulings this month indicate a shift, with judges holding wind developers liable for the first time for impacts on human health, protected birds, and rural character. 

In a landmark ruling today, a judge in Falmouth, Massachusetts ordered the town's three wind turbines shut off at night, on Sundays and on holidays to protect the health of residents.  ‘‘This is believed to be the first time that a court in the U.S. has ruled that there is sufficient evidence that wind turbines near residential areas are a health hazard to families living nearby,’’ said Virginia Irvine, president of Wind Wise Massachusetts..  The judge ruled that  operation of the turbines nonstop put residents at risk of ‘‘irreparable physical and psychological harm.”  Neighbors had complained of negative health impacts since the turbines were built.

Also this week, in the first-ever criminal prosecution of a wind company for illegal bird kills under the Migratory Treat Act,  Duke Energy Reneawbles Inc. pled guilty and was ordered to pay a million dollars. Duke's wind projects in Wyoming slaughtered 14 golden eagles and  149 other protected birds. See Department of Justice release on the fine.

 


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BARONA RESORT AND CASINO STANDS BY FILIPINO COMMUNITY IN WAKE OF TYPHOON HAIYAN

 

Barona Pledges More Than $20,000 & Launches Fundraiser for Typhoon Relief Efforts

November 22, 2013 (Lakeside)– Barona Resort & Casino has joined in relief efforts to help those affected by the devastation of Typhoon Haiyan. Barona presented a $10,000 donation to the Philippine American Business Improvement and Development during the organization’s annual gala. Barona will also continue to support those affected by Typhoon Haiyan with another $10,000 cash donation and a three-week, casino-wide fundraiser that will benefit relief efforts through the American Red Cross.

The casino-wide fundraiser begins on Saturday, November 23 as Filipino politician and boxing legend Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao takes on Brandon “Bam Bam” Rios in a pay-per-view fight which will be shown at the casino. From November 23 through December 15, Barona will match, dollar-for-dollar, the price of each Filipino-inspired entrée purchased at Ho Wan Noodle Shop. Players and staff will also have an opportunity to make a donation in designated collection boxes throughout the casino and everyone who makes a donation will be given a special thank-you button for their support.


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HEALTH AND SCIENCE HIGHLIGHTS


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MISSING EL CAJON WOMAN REPORTED IN TIJUANA CAR ACCIDENT, HASN’T BEEN SEEN SINCE

 

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2013 (El Cajon) – Anne Louise Terhune, reported missing by her family yesterday, may have been involved in a non-injury traffic collision in the Tijuana area, El Cajon Police have learned. 

“She was alone at the time of the collision but stated she was lost and provided her personal information.  She then indicated she would be home the following day and did not appear to be under any duress,” said Lt. Frank La Haye. But he added, “Terhune has not returned home and her whereabouts are unknown.”


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3 LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES URGE PROTECTED STATUS FOR PHILIPPINE NATI ONALS IN U.S. IN WAKE OF TYPHOON HAIYAN

November 22, 2013 (San Diego) -- Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) led a delegation letter calling on the Department of Homeland Security to temporarily halt the deportation of Filipino nationals because of the devastating impact Super Typhoon Haiyan has had on the Philippines.

“It would be irresponsible to send individuals into a situation with the level of destruction and suffering occurring in the Philippines right now,” said Davis. “I hope acting Secretary Beers will recognize the gravity of this situation and provide some certainty and relief to those who may be facing deportation.”

Davis and several her House colleagues, including local Democratic representatives Juan Vargas and Scott Peters, asked for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Filipino nationals in the U.S.  TPS is designed to protect individuals from being sent home to countries that may be too dangerous for them to return. It would also grant them permission to work in the U.S. 


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HELIX WATER SPARES LAKE JENNINGS TEMPORARILY

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2013 (La Mesa) – Several directors of the Helix Water Board indicated a willingness to vote to close Lake Jennings permanently or at least remove camping facilities and end fish stocking to save funds. But in the end, after public testimony and a proposal by director Joel Scalzitti, the board unanimously voted to form a committee to see if an alternative can be found.

Carlos Lugo, General Manager, led off the hearing earlier this month by stating that a  September workshop on the issue did not have a high attendance.  The lake has been a financial drain on the district and a consultant’s analysis predicted that even investing in major upgrades would not result in a profit.


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SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

By Miriam Raftery

November 22, 2013 (San Diego's East County)--You’ve heard of Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when large corporate retailers seek to lure consumers with loss-leader items and long lines at those big box stores.

But there’s also Small Business Saturday, an effort that aims to boost business for your neighborhood Mom and Pop stores that create local jobs and keep sales tax revenues in our communities-- from hardware stores to gift shops to coffee houses.


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